Taj Mahal
Christina



Taj Mahal- A Memorial of Love

They first set eyes on each other at a bazaar in Agra, India- they knew it was love at first sight…

Prince Khurram, later named Shah Jahan by his father, Emperor

Jahangir, fought with his brothers over the place of emperor. Shah

Jahan arose victorious and ruled along with his wife and queen,

Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz gave Shah Jahan eternal devotion and many

children. One day, after a hard fought battle in war, Mumtaz Mahal, nine

months into pregnancy, gave birth to their fourteenth child. Mahal died

shortly after its birth. Legend has it, that before dying, Mumtaz Mahal

whispered to Shah Jahan to remember to build a memorial dedicated to her

in her. Shah Jahan knew Mumtaz Mahal deserved this for all her hard work

and devotion she gave to him. So the Taj Mahal was built across from

the Jamuna River.




The Taj Mahal has an Islamic- style architecture and is higher than a

twenty-storey building. It took twenty-two years to complete, employing

twenty-thousand workers. The marble that completed the Taj Mahal was

sent over from Rajasthan. There was said to be a two mile ramp leading up

to the dome that was used to lift materials. The detailed and complicated
wood-work makes the Taj Mahal almost impossible to recreate. The hard

work most definitely paid off. The beauty of the Taj Mahal has made it one

of the Seven Wonders of the World.



The Taj Mahal today is still as undeniably and irrevocably as beautiful

as it was when it was first completed. Part of its beauty comes from the

modern days, too. The Taj Mahal was restored due to pollution of nearby

factories ruining the artwork and marble. The Taj Mahal takes on many

different looks at various times of the day. In the morning through

afternoon, it looks as though it is a perfect picture with a background of

pure, blue sky. In the evening, the Taj Mahal looks like an incredible

example of Islamic architecture as its silhouette is set in front of one of

India’s beautiful sunsets. The Taj Mahal, though, will forever be

remembered best as a memorial of true love.



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